Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Colombia announces presidential election results. Polls closed late Sunday as citizens chose a new leader to replace the outgoing Juan Manuel Santos, whose efforts to disband FARC won international acclaim but much criticism at home. The frontrunners hail from opposite sides of the ideological spectrum, with Center Democratic candidate Ivan Duque opposed to the FARC deal and former Bogota mayor Gustavo Petro willing to crack down on anyone who stands in the way of the peaceful agreement.
Italian president Sergio Mattarella meets with Italian economist Carlo Cottarelli. Mattarella could try to bring in the former International Monetary Fund senior official as Italy’s new finance head one day after rejecting the government’s nominee for the role, outspoken Euro-skeptic Paolo Savona. Mattarella’s move torpedoed efforts to form a coalition government, and, since the majority of parliamentarians have already said they would not support Cottarelli, re-elections may now be in the cards for this coming fall.
Subtropical storm Alberto is expected to make landfall in the US gulf south. The storm comes days before the Atlantic hurricane season formally begins on June 1, and could cause up to $1 billion in economic losses to Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida due to strong winds and potential flooding.
The US celebrates Memorial Day. Markets are closed on Monday as the US observes its patriotic three-day weekend with grilled meats and barbecue. Markets in the UK will also be closed due to a bank holiday, though it’s unclear how much grilling and chilling is planned for in London.
Over the Weekend
Ireland voted to legalize abortions. Two-thirds of voters cast their ballots on Friday in favor of repealing the country’s eighth constitutional amendment, which granted equal an unborn child rights equal to its mother’s. The results, announced on Saturday, show that just one constituency out of 40 voted “no.” Northern Ireland, however, still has a similar law on the books.
The US and North Korea prepared for a summit that may not happen. Though Donald Trump cancelled the potentially historic meeting earlier this week, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un met this weekend with South Korean president Moon Jae-in to discuss denuclearization and the importance of sitting down with his US counterpart (paywall). On Sunday, US officials met with North Korea vice foreign minister Choe Son-hui reportedly to discuss preparations (paywall) for the meeting, in the off chance that Trump and Kim do make it to Singapore June 12.
China protested US warships sent to the South China Sea. The USS Higgins and USS Antietam sailed near the Paracel Islands, a chain controlled by China but disputed by Taiwan and Vietnam, on Sunday. Beijing issued its “firm opposition” to the operation, which comes after the US rescinded its invitation to China to participate in its annual Rim of the Pacific Exercise, one of the world’s largest maritime military exercises.
Qatar banned goods from the United Arab Emirates and other nations. The small country acted ahead of the one-year anniversary of a Gulf-wide embargo, which was initiated by a handful of other nations—including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain—that accused Doha of sponsoring terrorists last June. Qatar has maintained its innocence.
Egypt’s high court blocked YouTube for a month. The ruling settles a years-long case stemming from the 2012 anti-Islamic short film Innocence of Muslims, which caused international outrage and violent protests after it was posted to the video streaming site. All links to the film have also been banned by the country.
Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe had a night out at the theater together. The two world leaders enjoyed performances from Japanese drummers, plus a sake-opening ritual at Moscow’s Bolshoi theater, as part of a “cultural exchange” on Saturday. In one of the more adorable displays of diplomacy in recent years, Russian figure skater Alina Zagitova was presented with an Akita dog by the Japanese prime minister.
Quartz obsession interlude
Annalisa Merelli and Nikhil Sonnad on sartorial maps: “Last week, US clothing retailer Gap apologized for printing a t-shirt that didn’t include China’s claimed territories, including Taiwan, South Tibet, and islands in the South China Sea…. At the same time, a group of Chinese tourists to Vietnam generated outrage by showing up at a Vietnamese airport wearing t-shirts with a Chinese map including parts of Vietnam. Maps are complicated in the current geopolitical climate—especially emblazoned across your torso. What is perfectly acceptable in Vietnam can get you stopped at Chinese border control, and vice versa.” Read more, and check out Quartz’s special-edition, border dispute-proof t-shirt concept.
Matters of debate
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is the first true feminist anti-hero. The disgraced CEO is certainly no role model, but her formidable ego commands respect—even if its dumbfounded.
We need to reconsider the passport. Many herald the end of paper documentation as the end of arbitrary geopolitical segregation, but it’s possible the alternative is much worse.
Moviepass could save Hollywood from itself this summer. The slate of movies due out in the coming season are uninspiring. But Moviepass is incentive enough to draw a crowd to these duds.
Surprising discoveries
Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup jersey may be the best-selling ever. The team isn’t expected to go very far in the tournament, but its Nike kit is getting rave reviews.
Someone made a movie you can control with your mind. Put on an EEG headset, and let your brainwaves live-edit scenes, the flow of the background music, and more.
Beekeepers are stealing each other’s hives. It’s become such a cutthroat industry that keepers are having to resort to all sorts of trickery to protect their wares.
The French parliament will debate a pastry name. Right-wing politicians want it to be called “chocolatine.” Pretty much everyone else calls it “pain au chocolat.” En garde!
Bill Gates loves, loves Vaclav Smil. An analysis of all 185 books Gates has ever mentioned on his blog reveals the tech billionaire is seriously obsessed with a Czech-Canadian scientist.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Akita treats and (non-bootleg) Nigeria jerseys to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by April Siese and Elijah Wolfson.